Watching Gods at play: Top 6 places to visit in Lahaul, Spiti

There are some experiences in this diverse country of ours that you don’t want to miss out on and the enchanted seclusion of Lahaul Spiti is one such. Spiti meaning ‘Middle Country’, lies between Tibet, Ladakh, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Kulu. It is also called “Little Tibet” because it has almost the same terrain, vegetation & climate. Village walks, monastery trails, bicycle days and slowly soaking in the cultural feel of this magical land in Himachal, is an experience that’s one of its kind.

Here we are with six places that you should definitely visit while you’re there.

1. Tandi

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Tandi is a town situated close to Keylong, where the rivers Chandra and Bhaga meet. Of the many mythological associations that it has, one would be that it is believed to have derived it’s name from the phrase tan dehi meaning giving up of the body. It issignifies the place where Draupadi, from the Mahabharatas is believed to have given up her body.

2. Tayul Gompa

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The monastery was constructed as a result of the vision of a Dugpa Lama in the 17th century.

3. Pin Valley National Park

Image SourceWith its sub-zero temperatures and semi-frozen rivers, Pin Valley is the only cold desert National Park located in Himachal Pradesh that houses endangered species such as the Snow Leopard and the Siberian Ibex.

4. Chandratal Lake

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Chandratal Lake is astonishingly beautiful and stands to prove claims that the state is an abode of the gods

5. Keylong Museum

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This museum has photographs of tourist sites in Lahaul and Spiti and a collection of traditional attire, instruments, prayer lamps and more.

6. Suraj Tal

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The third highest lake in the country, Suraj Tal is fed by glaciers of the Bara-Lacha-La pass.